Chapter 72 – A Villainous Pact
A/n – Sorry I didn't get this up last week – I promise that I had my reasons. If you want to know PM me.
Ro781727 – I'm honestly thinking about writing Toni cooking for them in at some point. It would be fun.
Elwaith – That's basically what I think too. It's a shame that the man became a villain even if he's still a bad person because he did. I always like it when there are reasons for the actions of the baddies.
Amelia Claw – Nothing after the Avengers movie is fully canon so yes I'm continuing with my set pairings.
Normally when there was silence in the room JARVIS kept playing the movie but he seemed to sense that most of the Avengers needed a moment. It was honestly more unsettling to see Toni drop her mask for a brief moment than it had been to find out she was dying. As she had pointed out so many times in the last movie all you had to do was look at her to realise that she wasn't dead. However, as much as they could understand why Toni might have been more vulnerable at that moment it was still alarming to see her that way. It made their ideas of making Toni drop at least some of her masks seem a little insensitive. She'd clearly attempted to do it more than once and as this showed it didn't seem to work for her. It explained the deeply ingrained reluctance. Even if she did trust them now she simply couldn't trust them that much. They'd just have to wait for her to drop a mask naturally and let her see that they weren't going to judge for it. Hopefully none of them would say anything stupid.
"JARVIS, please just play the damn thing please," Toni told her AI, "I'm getting freaked out by everyone else staring at me."
This resulted in the others realising that they had in fact been doing just that and quickly looking anywhere else. This got a snort from Toni who was almost enjoying how embarrassed they all looked about it.
Vanko was shown sitting in his cell staring at the wall. He only looked up at the clatter of a food tray being placed on the door by one of the officers. He walked over to grab it and when he moved the mug on the tray he found a note hidden beneath it.
"He's going to get out isn't he," Clint sighed, "why can't prison actually work at keeping the bad guys inside? Because killing them is not a route we want to have to take every time. Yet if we don't they just seem to keep coming back. It's highly irritating."
Vanko opened the note once he was sure nobody was watching. It read 'Enjoy the Potatoes' in Russian. Vanko quickly turned the supposed mass of mashed potatoes upside down to reveal the timer of a bomb.
"Really," Natasha exclaimed, "I realise that a combination of corruption and money made this happen and that can accomplish many things. But REALLY! How did someone who was not in on breaking him out not spot that?"
"A combination of Vanko's good luck and the stupidity of some members of the Monaco police force no doubt," Toni sighed, "it would have made my life so much easier if he stayed in jail. Therefore there was absolutely no chance of that happening."
The officer returned with another prisoner who he practically shoved through the door before locking it again. Vanko simply eyed the number on the prisoner's jacket identifying it as identical to his own. Quickly smirking Vanko knocked the man's head into the wall and then the metal sink. He fell to the floor unconscious.
"Considering the man doesn't actually know what's going on yet I'm fairly impressed by his quick reactions to what's going on," Phil commented, "he doesn't care who is getting him out. He's just taking the opportunity that was given to him and running with it."
The police officer walking past the door left a key to the cell on the slot for food delivery. Vanko wasted no time attaching the explosive to the wall. He activated it before letting himself out of his cell and casually strolling down the corridor. A guard tried to stop him but Vanko quickly attacked him and left him lying on the ground as his cell blew up.
"I've seen worse escape plans," Toni sighed, "I always did wonder exactly how he did it. I knew the basics but none of the details. I guess that's one of the benefits of these things. Seeing some of the stuff that even I wasn't there for."
Every alarm in the prison started sounding as Vanko ran down some stairs only to spot cops at the bottom. He turned around to dash back up the stairs but there were also cops coming down. They shoved a bag over his head and dragged him out of the building and threw him into the back of a van.
"I bet that wasn't exactly what he was expecting," Steve muttered.
"No, although I'm not sure what he would be expecting," Phil added, "other than a whole load of angry cops."
"It is a shame that his escape attempt was not foiled by honest men of the law," Thor mused, "but it does appear that many of the officers in his jail were involved."
"Money can get you a lot of things in this world," Toni sighed, "and if you don't have any morals then you aren't going to use any restraint. And there are a lot of stupid and selfish rich people out there who would do anything to either get money or get something else they want."
When the doors opened again and the bag was pulled off Vanko's head they were now in a hanger with a private jet. Hammer was seen sitting at a table eating while waiting for them to arrive.
"Well I had already predicted that he was a scumbag," Clint said with a shrug, "criminal is really not that much of a stretch. Besides I'm sure he knows he has no chance of beating Toni by himself so he's recruiting someone who he thinks can. Despite his previous failure Vanko did manage to at least show he could create some advanced tech."
"Getting one over on me without him would have been impossible," Toni chipped in, "with him… not impossible although still difficult. Although if you factor in the other things on my mind you get a slight raise in probability."
"I've got no idea why the man even bothered to run a company," Natasha snorted, "he has no real confidence, no business sense, no talent for engineering and he's a suck up who only cares about popular opinion. Oh wait! That last one explained everything."
As Vanko was escorted out of the van Hammer piped up as he rose from the table, "Hey, there he is. What an absolute pleasure. Welcome."
"And he talks with his mouth full," Steve said disgusted, "well that's just the icing on the cake."
There were several snickers from the other Avengers at that. It was truly amazing how many things were wrong about Justin Hammer. It had to be some kind of record. Although not the kind that the Guinness World Record people would be interested in.
"Oh, goodness gracious. Can we get the handcuffs off my friend here?" Hammer tutted.
"How does one even manage to be presumptuous towards a supervillain?" Bruce laughed, "Honestly if the guy wasn't surely about to cause a lot of trouble I would suggest he get a job as a comedian. He wouldn't have to do anything but be himself because he is such a joke."
"Forgive me, I'm sorry," Hammer said as Vanko's cuffs were removed, "I'm such a huge fan of yours. I didn't want to make a first impression like this. He's not an animal. Come on. He's a human being. Thank you."
"It's even more funny because knowing Hammer that's his idea of getting in Vanko's good graces," Toni laughed, "make sure he can't get away until you've got him to where you want him and then make a fuss about the handcuffs. The handcuffs you probably insisted on to make the scene in the first place."
"Vanko's going to eat him alive eventually," Phil added.
"Not literally Thor," Natasha told the Norse god who had briefly looked extremely worried.
Hammer quickly motioned to the guards to leave them alone and after a small protest they did. "My name's Justin Hammer," Hammer said shaking Vanko's hand, "I'd like to do some business with you. Please sit."
"Oh look any minute now they're going to start bonding over how much they both hate me," Toni muttered, "at least I know that I'm hated by the right people. When people like that hate you, well you have to be doing something right."
"Can they just be a little less insane next time? Please?" Natasha asked.
"I make absolutely no promises," Toni said, "they would probably end up being impossible to keep. You do realise what we do for a living right. Well, what most of you guys do. Not Bruce and I obviously since we don't exactly get paid."
Vanko looked slightly suspicious at the offer but took the seat nevertheless. "Dig in," Hammer told him, "what do we have today Jack?"
"We have some salmon carpaccio," Jack said quietly as he placed the plate in front of Vanko.
"Salmon carpaccio," Hammer echoed, "mm-mm. Anything you want here, we got it."
"What I wouldn't give to be able to test that claim," Natasha said with a smirk, "I'm sure I could think of several things to stump him."
Vanko seemed utterly bewildered by all the posh food and settings as Jack laid out his napkin. "I like my dessert first," Hammer continued, "I had this flown in from San Francisco. It's Italian, though. Organic ice cream. I got a sweet tooth. Apparently you do too, for Toni Stark."
"From anyone else I might take it as a compliment but all I'm going to say about Hammer saying it is that he should know from experience just how sweet I am not," Toni said with a scowl.
"That's mostly true," Bruce said, "although don't think we haven't noticed your big gestures that you try and write off as nothing. Those are sweet."
"What I saw you do to Toni Stark on that track, how you stepped up to her in front of God and everybody, that was… Wow!" Hammer enthused.
"Everyone is making me sound far more impressive than I actually am," Toni snorted, "I mean I know I'm good but I am not invulnerable. People need to calm down with their sort of hero worship already."
"I'm pretty sure that's never going to happen," Steve laughed, "I reckon you're kind of stuck with it at this point."
"You spoke to me with what you did," Hammer continued, "And I know that you knew that I'd be listening."
"The world does not revolve around you Hammer," Clint sighed, "in fact I can't think of many people the world revolves around less."
"This is why I couldn't bear to have you shipped off to God knows where. It would have been such a waste of talent. But if I might make a suggestion you know, you don't just go and try and kill the woman," Hammer said. He was basically monologuing at this point.
"Wow, he sure is using a lot of words to say very little," Bruce sighed, "he could have gotten to the point ages ago. But he has to use flowery language and try and compliment Vanko as often as is humanly possible."
"That's one of the reasons that he's so annoying," Toni agreed, "it's so hard to get him to shut up. Normally I don't mind people talking for a long time. I'm well known for doing that myself. But Hammer has nothing to say and yet still manages to bore everyone to death while trying to sound important."
"I think, if I may, you go after her legacy," Hammer insisted, "that's what you kill."
"Even if his plan had succeeded it would not have killed your legacy," Natasha snorted, "everyone knew that you weren't behind it. So why would they think badly about you because of it? Sure there would be a couple of people who would blame you because it was your event but most people wouldn't."
"Nobody ever said Hammer was smart," Toni pointed out.
"You and me, we are alike in a lot of ways," Hammer continued clearly not fazed by the mild reaction he was getting from Vanko, "The only difference between you and I is that I have resources. I think, if I may, you need my resources."
"He needs to stop saying 'if I may' if he is going to continue without getting permission," Thor noted, "it is most irritating."
"Someone behind you, a benefactor. I'd like to be that guy," Hammer finally wrapped up.
Vanko immediately started chuckling darkly before smirking and immediately starting to speak in Russian.
"Okay. Do you speak English?" Hammer said obviously just realising this was something he should have considered, "Because I can get a translator."
"That's funny for three reasons," Phil chuckled, "one, if he doesn't speak English then how does offering him a translator in English help? Two, I know we know he speaks English but the idea of Hammer having to repeat his speech is amusing to me and three, it really does prove how dumb Hammer is once and for all. Even Vanko finds it funny."
"I don't know," Hammer said his tone becoming much less confident, "Have you been understanding everything I've been saying?"
"Very good, man," Vanko said putting him out of his misery.
"Very good, man," Hammer said relieved.
"That's a shame, I was savouring his humiliation," Toni sighed, "I suppose it's not exactly hard to find examples of it though. I'll survive."
Vanko repeated his statement as they both started cackling about the situation. "Hey," Hammer said raising up his glass which Vanko quickly tapped with the bottle.
"Hey," Vanko said.
"Yes?" Hammer asked.
"I want my bird," Vanko told him.
"That's not exactly what I was expecting him to say," Clint mused, "although considering the bird he was working with at the beginning I guess it's not all that surprising."
"A bird? You want a bird?" Hammer asked. It was clear that he really didn't know how to react to that request.
"I want my bird," Vanko reiterated.
"And flustered Hammer is back. Yay!" Toni said beaming.
"I can get you a bird," Hammer told him, "I can get you 10 birds."
"I want my bird," Vanko insisted.
"The look on his face," Natasha said with a smirk, "I'm so glad we get to see this. We have to save it for use in embarrassing him even further."
"Well, okay," Hammer said obviously regretting his offer to get anything for Vanko, "Nothing's impossible. I could… Are we talking about…? Is this bird back in Russia?"
"Damn, now I wish we hadn't finished the popcorn," Clint sighed, "it would have been really useful for that scene."
A/n – See y'all next time.